DURBAN - Mkomazi River water could be channelled through a 32km tunnel by 2025 to help quench the thirst in the eThekwini Municipality.
Steve Gillham, general manager for engineering and scientific services at Umgeni Water, told The Independent on Saturday that the Mkomazi was the next river system in line to provide the precious liquid.
This follows the tapping of water from the Mooi River into Midmar Dam. That reservoir, near Howick, is already 96% full thanks to being fed by the Spring Grove Dam and Mearns Weir, both on the Mooi.
“The project, at the moment, is going through its final environmental specialist study so we are hoping for the environmental approvals by the end of next year and, if all goes accordingly, we can find mitigating measures where needed. Thereafter, all the detailed designing will start. The target date for commissioning, at this stage, is around 2025,” said Gillham.
WATER MAN: Steve Gillham, general manager for engineering and scientific services at Umgeni Water. VIDEO: Duncan Guy
The proposed site for the Smithfield Dam – one of two in the R20-billion scheme – is at Deepdale, close to where the R617 passes the Mkomazi at the bottom of Lundy’s Hill, on the road between Howick and Bulwer.
The building of the Smithfield Dam will require the expropriation of 1 487 hectares. It will be constructed, owned and financed by the Department of Water and Sanitation, according to Umgeni Water spokesperson, Shami Harichunder.
Gillham said the 32km tunnel, from Springfield Dam to Baynesfield, near Richmond, would take four to five years to dig. Water would then pass through a treatment plant before reaching the pipelines of the western eThekwini aqueduct.
“We are trying to expedite this as fast as we can, together with the Department of Water and Sanitation because we know the area needs water urgently.”
Gillham also said that down the line new options to provide water through desalination and recycling could compete with tapping water from rivers outside of the Mgeni catchment area.
He added that in the past, it had never been cost effective to tap the Mkomazi because the flow in the Mgeni met the demand. However, historical documents showed that water authorities had pencilled the Mkomazi and the Mzimkulu – the next river to the south – in conceptual ideas of how to supply water to Durban.
Gillham said the need to tap the Mzimkulu for eThekwini would be unlikely in his lifetime, adding that the river already provided water to Port Shepstone and smaller towns.
The other dam planned for the Mkomazi is at Impendle. It and Smithfield would enable Umgeni Water to provide water to eThekwini for 30 to 40 years, he said.